Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

 Switch
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom Image
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86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 57 Ratings

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  • Summary: A legendary game series returns with an all-new adventure and in HD/ Monster Boy is a colorful side-scrolling action adventure created in cooperation with Ryuichi Nishizawa, the creator of the famous Wonder Boy in Monster World series.

    Monster Boy is being created to bring back the    A legendary game series returns with an all-new adventure and in HD/ Monster Boy is a colorful side-scrolling action adventure created in cooperation with Ryuichi Nishizawa, the creator of the famous Wonder Boy in Monster World series.

    Monster Boy is being created to bring back the enjoyment of the classic games that shine by simplicity. Exciting gameplay, upbeat music and smooth graphics. You'll need to overcome huge bosses, find hidden passages, discover powerful equipment and use all your wits and skills to remove a powerful curse.

    Transform into 6 different creatures, each with their own skills and abilities. Take advantage of all the unique powers to open new paths and advance in an epic story.

    We put all our passion into Monster Boy to create a truly enjoyable love letter to gaming from the 80's and 90's - will you join us and celebrate together with us?

    Features:

    * Switch between up to 6 playable characters: Each character feels different and all of them keep the gameplay fresh and exciting.
    * Unlock new paths and secrets with special equipment: Look for magic weapons and equipment that gradually open up the world.
    * Over 15 hours of epic adventure: Explore the new 'Monster World' in a huge interconnected environment.
    * Soundtrack from Japanese superstar composers: Yuzo Koshiro, Motoi Sakuraba, Michiru Yamane, Keiki Kobayashi and Takeshi Yanagawa
    * Full HD graphics at 60 frames per second: The game supports 1080p/60fps (docked) and 720p/60fps (portable mode)
    * HD Rumble support: Feel the action with high performance HD Rumble support    … Expand
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Trailer

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Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom - Official Trailer | E3 2018

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Gaming Age
    Jan 24, 2019
    100
    So overall Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a retro inspired platformer and shows the genre at its finest. Not to mention it feels right at home on the Switch despite being a multiplatform release. If you’ve never played a Monster Boy game but have been looking for anything to scratch that Metroid or Castlevania itch then this is for you. And if you’re a Monster Boy fan wondering if this installment is any good then you should probably already own it. But if you don’t then take it from me you won’t regret your time with Cursed Kingdom.
  2. Nintendo Life
    Dec 5, 2018
    90
    Monster Boy is a tremendous accomplishment. It’s a gorgeous looking game with a fantastic soundtrack and does its spiritual predecessors proud by nailing the Wonder Boy mechanics while still offering something that will appeal to modern audiences. As long as you can appreciate that it’s still very much an old-school game at heart and you’re going to get some 8-bit era platforming trickiness as a result, you’re going to thoroughly enjoy playing through this adventure for the 12-15 hours it’ll take you to beat it. It may not be Wonder Boy by name, but it’s definitely wonderful by nature.
  3. Atomix
    Jan 9, 2019
    90
    Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is one of the best surprises of 2018. A great adventure that everyone should play.
  4. IGN Spain
    Dec 4, 2018
    87
    A great neo-retro game that manages to be fresh and a perfect homage to some old classic like Wonder Boy.
  5. 4Players.de
    Jan 25, 2019
    85
    The beautiful platform exploration of Wonder Boy transcends into the present with Wonder Boy adding clever puzzle elements.
  6. Jeuxvideo.com
    Dec 13, 2018
    85
    Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a shiny and colorful metroidvania that offers great gameplay with equipment swap and animal transformations that changes the gameplay possibilities.
  7. Nintendojo
    Dec 27, 2018
    67
    It’s a beautiful throwback adventure that is, overall, quite enjoyable once it picks up steam, but its problems are hard to ignore. Simply put, the janky hit detection from decades-old games is a flaw that breaks up the flow of otherwise smooth controls, forcing the player to spend their first few hours with the least enjoyable transformations, leaving a poor first impression.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
  1. TheDahaka
    Dec 7, 2018
    10
    A superb Metroidvania style platformer and an absolute blast for fans of Wonderboy. This was a long time coming. The devs knocked this one outA superb Metroidvania style platformer and an absolute blast for fans of Wonderboy. This was a long time coming. The devs knocked this one out of the park!… Expand
  2. Anon1024
    Dec 30, 2018
    10
    A true revival of a platforming legend, Monster Boy does for the Wonder Boy saga what Sonic Mania did for Sonic, but to a much greater andA true revival of a platforming legend, Monster Boy does for the Wonder Boy saga what Sonic Mania did for Sonic, but to a much greater and deeper extent. Rendered in amazing, 1080p hand-drawn, perfectly animated visuals and with a memorable, if upbeat and perhaps too modern soundtrack, this game does not only get a technical update, but a much deeper gameplay update where gameplay is now less about repeated fighting against the same kinds of enemies in the same situations, but a combination of simpler and more complex puzzles requiring strategy, precision, speed and, most often, careful exploitation of different character traits and perks. On top of this, the game is huge, accounting for about 6 times the size of the MegaDrive games, and has more secrets and collectibles than ever.

    Wonder Boy has grown up, and it did so masterfully at the hands of people that very clearly played and loved the original games. You can tell the amount of love this team put into this project, which is clearly an "I want to create the perfect game"-type project, not a "let's sell another hedgehog thing to random kids; add swords, whatever, just get it done, it will sell anyways"-type business. There's no shortage of fan service and references to the previous games too!    … Expand
  4. Lightwing
    Dec 18, 2018
    10
    Best platformer game ever! Inspired of the classic with a new take. Extremly fun with great game play!
  5. dimzic
    Dec 4, 2018
    10
    The game provides an excellent challenge and while it is fun, it gives to the players some hard times, but never frustrating. It makes theThe game provides an excellent challenge and while it is fun, it gives to the players some hard times, but never frustrating. It makes the game feel more substantial and provides a feeling of accomplishment. The form swapping complaints come from people who do not know that you can toggle settings to become able to change forms on the fly, without having to pause every single time. One thing that I really liked was the innovative and fresh, yet still wonderboy escue level design. I cannot see how the reviewer thinks that the level design is "BAD". The work and devotion to perfection are evident. Being a wonderboy fan I would give a 9.5 out of 10. As an unbiased reviewer, who has never played/heard the old games my scores would be: Graphics: 9.8 out of 10, Music/Sounds: 9.3 out of 10, Controls: 9 out of 10, Level Design: 8.8 out of 10, Pace/Addiction: 9 out of 10, VERDICT: 9 OUT OF 10… Expand
  6. denisferro
    Jan 26, 2019
    9
    Jogo incrível!

    Mapa bem grande com uma excelente variedade, inclusive de inimigos! Dificuldade elevada... Não é qualquer "gamer" que irá    Jogo incrível!

    Mapa bem grande com uma excelente variedade, inclusive de inimigos!

    Dificuldade elevada... Não é qualquer "gamer" que irá conseguir zerar.

    Gráficos 2D bem bonitos!

    A cada novo personagem desbloqueado é quase como se um novo jogo estivesse surgindo! Ou seja, você não vai enjoar tão cedo!

    Trilha sonora incrível, sem palavras!

    Acredito que o único ponto negativo do jogo é que quantidade de horas para zerar passou um pouco do ponto... Perto do final você se sente meio "cansado"... Se o jogo tivesse umas 5h a menos, seria perfeito...

    De qualquer forma, é um dos melhores jogos da biblioteca do Switch!

    Com certeza vale a pena jogar! A diversão é garantida!    … Expand
  7. Ypp
    Jan 16, 2019
    6
    I came in expecting a successor to 'Wonderboy : the dragon's trap' that I enjoyed a lot. And in some aspects this game really delivers : theI came in expecting a successor to 'Wonderboy : the dragon's trap' that I enjoyed a lot. And in some aspects this game really delivers : the soundtrack is nice, the character design and animations are flawless. The scenario is pretty conventional and without surprises, and the cutscenes a bit too "talky" to my tastes but still fine.

    However, when in Wonderboy the level design felt hard but rewarding, there are lots of time where I felt that MonsterBoy was actively punishing me for playing it. From ennemies that remove 2/3 of your life bar in one hit to ennemies that respawn without warning ON THE CHARACTER, there are a lot of times where I was about to throw my console on the ground. Some parts of the game lit a pure and undistilled rage in my heart until I unlocked a specific power, by which time it becomes trivial. In general, past the first dungeon, there's really no in-between in this game : either you die a thousand times on the same screen or it is totally trivial.

    Most checkpoints don't refill your lifebar, and you restart at the last checkpoint with only a small portion of your hearts, which means most of the time you're chain-dying and reloading only to get one-shot a few screens down the road.

    I thoroughly enjoyed Hollow Knight and Wonderboy. I can handle a hard game. But *this* is not hard. This is *pain*.    … Expand
  8. bl1rt
    Dec 29, 2018
    3
    I have fond memories of playing the game on Master System with my brother, and I enjoyed the remake a lot, so I had high hopes for this. AndI have fond memories of playing the game on Master System with my brother, and I enjoyed the remake a lot, so I had high hopes for this. And in regards to animation and artwork, the game delivers - it looks gorgeous. But the game mechanics are so bad, I dropped it after few hours.
    Many of its flaws seem like botched features from the original. For example, in the original, enemy movement is challenging - here it is unfair. But for me, it all boils down to one thing: the game does not rely on skill, but on patience. Most challenges you fail because you grew impatient at the third or fourth repetition, and the game punishes you by setting you back to zero. It is mind-numbing.
    Ultimately, I wonder who this game is for. It is too hard for children, but too linear and simplistic for adults. I wanted to like this, but I thoroughly didn't.    … Expand

See all 10 User Reviews

Trailers

Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Best Switch Game of 2018
64
#64 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018
72
#72 Most Shared Switch Game of 2018

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